when and what do you feed a box turtle?

Answer 1

Omnivorous. When young they are chiefly carnivorous, and as they mature and grow they begin to include plant based food sources into their diet. They do not switch to an all plant diet, as some people mistakenly believe. Their plant to animal material ratio evens out to about 50/50 as adults.
Animal based food sources include, but are not restricted to: snails, slugs, worms, insects of all kinds, crayfish, spiders, millipedes, frogs, salamanders, lizards, snakes, smaller turtles, small mammals, and ground nesting birds. Sometimes they may be seen feeding on carrion rather than actually hunting various animals down. Box turtles have been seen to actively attack small ground-nesting birds and their eggs/babies.
Plant based food sources include, but are not restricted to: sub-aquatic herbaceous plants, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, mulberries, may apples, mushrooms, dandelions, pigweed, various vegetables from raided vegetable gardens, etc.

Answer 2

I have had three box turtles for over 12 years. They roam freely in my very tiny apartment back yard jungle. Box turtles are quit like people what one turtle will eat another will not touch. There are many expensive can turtle food on the market. I have only resorted to that in trying to feed newly hatched youngens.Try any thawed vegatable like corn and peas.
My turtles eat any bugs they find. Earth worms are a favorite so much so whenever they hear me cleaning up they come out as they know I will give them any I find. I also on a daily bases about three weeks after they come out of hibernation any cantelope or honeydew green leaf lettucue anhd a couple spoon fulls of some expensive can dog food thyat pamper poodles might get. Cat food is not good as it does not contain the proper nutrients.

Answer 3

Depending on which species it is, box turtles eat about 75% insects, and 25% plants.

The 'insects' are usually going to be crickets, snails and worms from the pet shop. Avoid mealworms as the shells cause digestive problems (a couple are OK, but not as a regular food item!) You can also try things like hard-boiled eggs with shells, cooked chicken, high-quality canned cat food, etc.- but insects are best.

The plants should be mostly 'fodder'- hays, clover, grasses, alfalfa, leaves, flowers, yard plants, etc. The rest can be fungi, mushrooms, berries, vegetables, fruit, etc.

DO NOT feed any turtle hamburger or light green head lettuce (like Iceberg)- Iceberg is nutritionally empty, and hamburger, etc. is way too fatty.

Some companies make good box turtle chow or canned food that is perfectly OK for the turtle. I love keeping it on hand for the times I am out of the 'real' foods.

Note: There is a LOT of misinformation and old information out there about box turtle diet and care, such as the myth that they eat mostly vegetables. We have known this is not true for about 20 years, but old information just keeps showing up.

Answer 4

I have 2 myself

FOOD

The best time to offer food is after the turtles have had several hours to warm up in the morning. Offer food daily to youngsters, every other day to adults. Since turtles are motivated by sight and smell, offer a varied, colorful diet. At each feeding, there must be both plant matter and animal products. Add vitamin supplement (such as Reptivite) twice a week.

Plant Matter.
A variety of vegetables, greens and fruits must be offered. A grated/shredded salad of carrots or orange squash, green beans, soaked, mashed high quality dog kibble, and fruit (such as strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, blackberries, cherries, plums) should be all mixed together. Serve with some cantaloupe (with the rind), mustard, dandelion and collard greens. For treats, add flowers (hibiscus, rose petals, geraniums, nasturtiums). Occasionally, offer chard, sweet peppers, leftover vegetables and fruits from your meals. (My box turtles eat the same salad that my iguanas, tortoises and omnivorous skinks eat.)

Meat/Live Foods.
Many diets recommend high quality (low fat) canned dog food (especially chicken); finely chopped cooked chicken or raw beef heart. Most turtle people, however, prefer to supplement protein by feeding several freshly molted king mealworms Zoophoba king worms or Tenebrio mealworms (the tough brown exoskeletons are not digestible); earthworms and nightcrawlers (avoid bait shop worms - these are usually raised under rabbit hutches and are filthy with bacteria and protozoa); small pinky mice; slugs and snails (if caught in your garden, feed the snails and slugs for 4 days on dark leafy green vegetables - any that have been exposed to poisons will die in that time) and crickets (which have been fed on tropical fish flakes and fresh fruit for at least 24 hours). Remember that young turtles eat more animal matter than do adults, so the amount of protein offered should decrease over time until it is no more than 10% of total food volume.

Answer 5

I had a turtle once i named it Murtle The Turtle but my mom didn't want it anymore so i had to put i in my lake but then another day she came back and i knew she was hungry so we got out our turtle food which is lettuce see if it works for u... Good Luck!

Answer 6

It depend, if it is a baby box turtle, you feed it once a day, or once every other day. If it is a grown up one you feed it every 3-4 days.

Now as to what you feed it, I feed mine hamburger meat from McDonalds, and I feed her straw berries, cat, fish, and dog food. And as a treat on special occassions(such as national turtle day) I feed her hamburger and strawberries, her two favorite foods. Check out www.turtlesale.com for more info and check out there message board!

Answer 7

My box turtles enjoy a little ground beef as well as greens. Their metabolism is slow, so take it easy on the food!

Answer 8

They will eat almost anything. They are omnivorous and it is important to keep that in mind. I recomend a varried diet. For meet earthworms and slugs are best, for vegtables stick mostly to green leafy vegtables, for fruit they love water mellon and tomatoes. If he is a wild turtle then only keep him if you plan on him as a permanate pet. After being in captivaty many turtles cannot survive in the wild. In fact in many states it is illeagle to realese them after 30 days of captivaty.

Answer 9

If the turtle is a wild turtle you caught , let him go

Answer 10

there is not any damage in case you keep him for a lengthy time period. You got here upon him.You rescued him from growing roadkill, nutrition, or from being thrown. you would possibly want to settle on, once you're prepared to go back him to the wild, the position the most secure position to launch him is. it could be faraway from highways, city existence, etc. in case you already stay in a rural section, purely go away him in a meadow or woods. a great number of turtles locate themselves lost on the city elements and ultimately land up lifeless alongside the fringe of the line. In my section, call the community animal shelters for advice. be certain he gained't purely be placed up for adoption. Habitat is being destroyed. once lengthy gone, it makes no experience to toss an animal right into a negative placing purely to go back him to "the wild". locate his nearest habitat. which will be fantastic for now, once he's dealt with, try calling the vet, once he's healed enable him pass to his organic habitat, or a organic world rehab centre, yet tell them in the experience that they 'placed him down, you'll take him.'